1903A3 Smith Corona new aquisition

[iofneedle]

An SC 1903A1 would be quite an interesting find! I assume you mean a 1903A3 since SC never made 03s.

I certainly did mean that...LOL

 

[iofneedle]

It has arrived! Everything is original Smith Corona except the stock which is Springfield. I would have to say excellent condition on the whole.

 

[jpm]

A Springfield stock?? Should be Remington or SC.

Beautiful either way and is that an original Kerr sling??

 

[Mountain]

It has arrived! Everything is original Smith Corona except the stock which is Springfield. I would have to say excellent condition on the whole.

Wow, looks fantastic!

Doesn't count until you submit a range report.

 

[iofneedle]

A Springfield stock?? Should be Remington or SC.

Beautiful either way and is that an original Kerr sling??

I did not even know the sling was coming with it. I will have to investigate if it is original.

 

[OldNorth]

My favorite rifle. Very nice!

 

[jpm]

View attachment 163998

I did not even know the sling was coming with it. I will have to investigate if it is original.

ok this is very perplexing. SA over GAW is a Springfield Armory rebuild cartouche. I don't know why an 03A3 would have such a thing since I don't think Springfield did any rebuilds on the A3. It should have an ordinance wheel and FJA stamp for Frank J Atwood. Can you post some pics of any stamps on the underside ahead of and behind the trigger guard/mag plate?

 

[iofneedle]

ok this is very perplexing. SA over GAW is a Springfield Armory rebuild cartouche. I don't know why an 03A3 would have such a thing since I don't think Springfield did any rebuilds on the A3. It should have an ordinance wheel and FJA stamp for Frank J Atwood. Can you post some pics of any stamps on the underside ahead of and behind the trigger guard/mag plate?

The only stamp on the underside is the circle P. It certainly looks like a scant stock. All Remington and SC originally came with straight grips. I did find this info:

With the exception of some pistol-gripped C-stocks, nearly all M1903A3's left the factory wearing walnut stocks with the same straight-grip profile as the earlier M1903 rifle. Ordnance had decided that the pistol-gripped C-stock was superior, but large quantities of stock blanks left over from WW1 were still on hand. It was decided to use these up before any mass introduction of C-stocks. For whatever reason, however, the C-stock was never implemented in any great numbers as part of new production of the M1903A3. During the war, however, a "scant" stock was devised. The Scant stock was the closest thing to a C-stock that could be machined from the left-over WW1 era blanks. While not a full C-stock, ordnance had the remaining blanks machined as scant stocks and used them as the standard replacement stock for issued rifles with worn or damaged furniture. Many of the refurbished rifles we see today will be equipped with a replacement scant stock. Few, if any, of the scant stocks were used in new production, though some were used on Remington made M1903A4 sniper rifles for a time. All stocks made after the introduction of the M1903A3 were machined for both the M1903 rear sight base, as well as for the M1903A3 rear handguard ring and could be fitted to either rifle. This was done to simplify logistics.

All other markings on receiver, bolt and barrel are SC.

 

[OldNorth]

Also notice the difference in trigger guards.SC Below

Remington Below.

 

[MisterHappy]

My dad was an armorer in WWII, and from what I can remember of his offhand comments about such things. In the field, details such as "originality" were not the prime concern. Mix and match will win the war!

 

[Nickle]

I don't know why an 03A3 would have such a thing since I don't think Springfield did any rebuilds on the A3.

Probably because it was rebuilt and a used 1903 stock was used.

WW2 vintage M1's have the same problem.